Electric switch



J. B. GURY, JR

Nov 9 1926.

ELECTRIC SWITCH ,Filed oct. 27,

l Ltvrq zy@ AM@ kia Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES JOHN B. GURY, JR., F ST. ItiOII'IS, MISSOUR.

ELECTRIG SWITCH.

Application led October 2-7, 1924. Serial No.'746,062. i

This invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to aswitch for multiple circuits and whose vswitching elements are operatedsimultaneously from a single oper- I ating element. It has for itsobjects to produce a simple, compact and durable structure which ishighly efficient and vwill meet the regulations and requirements asto'safety,

c etc. Other objects andv advantages to be attained will hereinaftermore fully appear `in the following specification.v i Y l The inventionconsists inthe parts and combinations and arrangements of! partshereinafter described and afterwards pointed out with particularity inthe appended claims.

In the'accompanying drawings forming part of this specification andillustrating a practical adaptation of the invention,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the switch structure complete, theswitching elements being shown in contact with the circuit ter-4 minalelements;

Figure 2 is an end elevation;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on the line 3 3'of Figure 2, the switching elements being shown in the ott contactposition;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 5 5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary Vsection on the `line 6 6 of Figure 1; and

Figure 7- is a view showing details of the several parts of theswitching and actuating elements detached, and a fragmentary section ofthe insulator body on the line 7e-7 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the end membersof the` supporting body of the switch, the same being substantiallyL-shape and preferably built of layers or laminations of sheets ofpressed fiber or other suitable insulation material. These endmembers'are attached to intermediate frame members 2 of subst-antiallyH-shape and made of metal or any material possessing the requiredrigidity.

There are two of the frame members 2, one being placed on each side ofthe members 1, and each has two diagonally opposite legs shorter thanthe other two, by which shape and arrangement the necessity for makingthe parts in rights and lefts is obviated.

The members 1 and 2 are clamped securely together by screw-bolts 3.Terminal plates 4 are secured on opposite sides of the members 1, as byrivets 5 which secure said plates to. the outer layers only (see Figure6),

there being openings 6 in the two intermedi ate layers to preventcontact of the two opposed rivets and affordample air gap between them.The plates 4 are further secured to .the members 1 by the screws 7 whichserve as binding screws for the terminals of the circuit wires, and saidplates preferably h ave retaining or guard flanges 8 on opposite sidesof said screws 7. Of course, the inner ends of the screws 7 have anample gap between them (see Figure 5).

Hinged, as at 9, between the members 2, is an actuator member 10 havingan operating handle 11. This member 10 has a cross head affording twooppositely disposed arms 12 and 13, each of which latter having a crosspin 14 protruding on opposite sides thereof.. The relative arrangementof the handle portion 11 and arms 12, 13, is such 'that when the handleis at the extreme limit of its stroke in either direction (see Figures 1and 3) the arms 12, 13, are diagonally disposed and at substantially thesame angu- -larity in both of said positions.

roller of brass or other metal of electrical' conductivity, said rollerbeing annularly grooved vbetween its ends affording a pair of heads 18constituting the roller proper and a connecting neck or shank 19. Theportions 18 ride on the arcuate trackways 15 of the members 1, andstraddle a bead or rib 2() extending longitudinally of said trackwaysatv the middle thereof (see Figures 1 and 7 ample clearance beingprovided between said bead or rib and the neck portion 19 of the roller.

The `vswitching elements each further comprise two parallel like members21 of compressed iiber or other suitable non-conduct- The spaced members21 receive the larms 12,

.13, between them and they are bifurcated,

as at 25, to receive the cross pins 14 which work in the slots with justan easy sliding fit. Coiled looselyl about the' members 21 is a spring26 which is always under compression between the disk 24 and a washer 27slidably fitted on the reduced portions of the members 21 and abuttingthe cross pins 14.

By" having the trackways 15 curved on a radius from the axis of thepivot of the actuator 10 and owing to the arrangement of thespring-pressed switching elements between said trackways and the crosspins 14 of the arms 12, 13, the rollers 18 are held to the trackwaysboth during the actuationof the arms 12, 13, and when said armsreach thelimits of their strokes in either direction and in which positions ofsaid arms the rollers are either in contact with the terminal plates 4or the frame members 2, as the case may be. y

When the head portions 18 of the roller of the switching element engagethe portions 4a and 17 of the terminal plates 4 an electrical crossconnection is effectedjbetween the correlated pair of said plates,thereby closing the circuit. When the roller is moved out of Contactwith said plates the circuit is, of course, broken.

The novel construction Yand arrangement of the switch is such that bothswitching elements are shifted from one ext-:eme position to the otherat the same time by the operation of the single lever handle 11. So,too, by having the switching elements arranged in tandeminstead of sideby side,A

a relatively narrow body is produced without materially increasing thelength thereof. Ihat is, a double-throw switch structure is producedwhich takes up no more room than the usual single-throw switch of thesame type. Furthermore, the structure is such that economy ofmanufacture isA attained and assembly greatly facilitated.

Obviously, the structure admits of considerable modification withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. It'is,l therefore, notlimited to the specific form shown.

What is claimed is:

p 1. .An electric switch comprising a body frame comprising end members'of insulation material at its opposite ends havingopposed arcuatetrackways thereon, terminal contact members arranged in pairs at one endof each of said trackways, each corre'- lated pair of said terminalcontact members being normally void of electrical connection with eachother, switching elements each comprising a spring-pressed roller ofelectrical conductivity operable on the respective trackways, the endportions of said rollers being adapted to bridge a pair of said terminalcontact members, and a single operating lever arranged and adapted toeffect the actuation lof said switching elements s1- multaneously ineither directionA on their respective trackways.

2. In an electric switch, a body frame having two opposed, arcuate,trackways of insulation material, a pair of like, springpressed,switching elements, each comprismg a roller of electrical conductivityand operable on one of said trackways, a corre-V lated pair of normallydisconnected terminal contact members at one end of eachiof saidtrackways, portions of said terminal contact members affordingcontiguous extensions of said trackwaysand stops for said rollers ofsaid switching elements wherebT to be engaged and bridged by therespective rollers, anda single operating lever hingedly mounted midwaybetween said trackways and having oppositely disposed arms `inengagement with said switching elements whereby to actuate said elementssimultaneously in either direction on said trackways.

3. In an electrical switch of the character described, a pair ofoppositely-disposed trackways and a single operating lever midwaybetween them in tandem relation, a correlated pair of terminal contactmembers at one end of each of said trackways, said contact members beingnormally void of electrical connection with each other, the correlatedpairof said contact members on the one trackway being diagonally opposedto the pair on the other trackway, and a pairof diagonally opposed,like, spring-pressed, switching elements interposed between saidtrackways and said single operating lever, whereby tovbe actuated bysaid leversimultaneously in either direction but in opposite directionsrelative to each other, said switching elements each comprising a rolleroperable on its adjacent trackway, said rollers being of electricalconductivity and capable -of bridging and electrically connecting theerating lever pivotally'mounted between trackways inlongitudinally-opposed rela-- tion with respect to the frame, acorrelated pair of normally disconnected terminal contact members onsaid end members at one end of each of said trackways' indiagonallyopposed relation, a diagonally dlsposed op said intermediateframe members and centrally of the cross-bars thereof, said lever havingoppositely-disposed cross-arms assuming an angularity of the same degreediagonally with respect to said body frame in the extreme'reverselyoperated positions of said lever, spring-pressed switching elementsinterposed between said lever crossarms and said trackways, saidswitching elements normally extending diagonally from said cross-armslto the ends of the respective l trackways a/d having rollers at theirends operable on said trackways under the spring pressure of saidswitching elements and being shiftable from one end to the' other of therespective traclrwa s by the shifting of said lever cross-arms omones'extreme operated position to the other. v i

5. In an electrical'switchof the character described, a body framecomprising opposed end members of material ofelectrical non'-conductivity, said end members having longitudinally opposed trackwayson their inner portions, diagonally opposed terminal l Contact memberson said end Amembers at the ends'of said trackways, reve'rsely acting,diagonally opposed switching elements operable on said trackways, andasinglev'operating device arranged in'tandem relation with said trackwaysand said switching elements and being capable of simultaneouslyactuating said switching elements in opposite directions.

JOHN GURY, Jn.

